Continued: Midtown Global Market edges toward independence

“The only thing that we knew ourselves was just how to cook,” said co-owner Conrado Paredes. “We never had a business before. So there is a lot of stuff that you never think about.”

Azzahir said focusing on small businesses has been harder, but worth it.

“Rather than give over to a large business that wasn’t local, we stayed the course with the small businesses, with businesses that represented their cultural communities, with new people to the country,” Azzahir said.